Talks on with DMDK underway says Karunanidhi

Chennai: DMK today said talks were on with DMDK for a tie-up in the coming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, giving a new twist to the political scenario in the state days after the Vijayakanth-led party announced it would go it alone.

DMK President M Karunanidhi said talks were on with DMDK and he had not lost his confidence that it would join hands with his party.

"Happening," he told reporters here when asked if talks were on with the DMDK.

"I have not lost my confidence (that DMDK would join the DMK-led front)," said Karunanidhi, whose party was among those which have persistently wooed Vijayakanth for an alliance.

Karuanidhi's announcement that talks were on with DMDK has virtually put the clock back over the question of opposition political combinations that would take on the ruling AIADMK.

Besides the DMK, BJP and four party bloc People's Welfare Front continue to woo the DMDK.

DMK has already struck an electoral deal with Congress and Muslim-dominated parties like the IUML and MMK.

Replying to another question Karunanidhi, however, said he would not be able to give a definitive answer on the timing of the announcement over the tie-up with DMDK and quipped "it may come."

On the number of seats DMK would contest, he said, "it would neither be appropriate for me to spell that out nor civil for you to pose that question at this juncture."

Asked when he would begin his election propaganda, he merely thanked the journalist for using a (pure) Tamil word to refer to propaganda and did not say anything more.

Earlier, Karunanidhi chaired the party's district secretaries meet in which 65 of them participated from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, which also goes to assembly elections on May 16.

Several issues related to upcoming election vis-a-vis party preparedness was discussed, party sources said.